How to Make Good Garden Compost

Compost is one of the best fertilizers you could have in a garden. Nutrient-rich, it takes what would normally be thrown out and creates a wonderfully rich addition to the garden. Tilling it into the soil as you are creating your garden can help boost the richness and nutrients the soil will be able to give to the plants.

• Start with high carbon materials – The high carbon items to add to a compost pile include things like leaves, bark, wood ashes, sawdust, stems, twigs, straw and peat moss. Other items are peanut shells, newspaper, fruit waste, vegetable stalks, corn stalks, cardboard pieces and pine needles. These are just a few of the high carbon items that are what is referred to as “brown” items for compost.


• Add high nitrogen materials – The high nitrogen items to add to a compost pile include items like algae, clover, food waste, hay, coffee grounds, manure, seaweed, hedge clippings, and grass clippings. Other items are alfalfa, garden waste, vegetable scraps, and some weeds. Weeds should not have gone to seed.


• Know what not to add – There are items that should not be added in to a compost heap. These include things like diseased plants, weedy plants, meat, bone, fish, dairy, pet waste, colored paper, coal ash and chemicals like pesticides. Other items like glass, plastic, metal and pressure-treated lumber aren’t good for a compost heap as well.

Tips

• Keep the compost warm. This is called “cooking compost”. Do this by chopping up or shredding items for the heap so it can break down easier and faster. Keep it in the sun. Turn it often. Add material in a large quantity all at once instead of little bits at a time.